Cleaning head for suction type carpet sweepers



July 13, 1954 D.YN. oLsl-:N 2,683,276

CLEANING HEAD FOR SUCTION TYPE CARPET SWEEPERS Filed Aug, 21, 195o BY l2 HTTORNE Patented July 13, 1954 CLEANING HEAD FOR SUCTION TYPE CARPET SWEEPERS Daniel N. OlsenQKansas City, Mo.

Application August 21, 1950, Serial No. 180,532

1 Claim.

Thisfinventionrelates to vacuum cleaners having suction means as a part thereof and has to do. more particularly with a cleaning head for vacuum cleaners of such character, the head bejing provided with a rotatable turbine within .the :path of travel .of air currents through vthe head induced by the vacuum. cleaner itself vand .being :operably connected with a rotatable brush also mounted within the head.

Itis .the most important object of this invention to provide a Vacuum cleaner head .that combines .the functions of cleaners of the suction type with those of cleaners operating principally on the rotatable brush principle, the head being so formed and arranged to utilize the .flow of air currents to rotate thebrush.

Other objects of this invention include the way in which the rotatable brush and turbine are arranged .and interconnected to present a relatively small,'inexpensive, light-weight, universal f attachment .for suction type vacuum cleaners; the Way in which the turbine is ltermed and .disposed within the. path ycf air ourrentsto present suicient acceleration without deleterious effectsupon the function of the stream of air'inV picking up particles of dirt and dust; and many `other more minor objects, all `of which willbe made Yclear or become -apparent as the Aspecification progresses, reference .being had to theaccompanying Vdrawing, wherein:

Fig. Y1 is a perspective view of a cleaning head for ,suction type carpet sweepers made pursuant to my present invention.

Fig. 2. is a front elevational view with .the cover plate ofthe head entirely removed.

Fig. 13 is a top plan View with said .cover plate removed.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken online IV-IV ofjFi'g. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line V-'V of Fig. 3, looking in the direction ofthe` arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse, cross sectional view taken on Line VI-VI, of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

As above indicated, the cleaning headfhercot, broadly designated by the .numeral liL'is adapted for releasable attachment to and use with various types of conventional vacuum cleaners of the type having a tubularsuction conduit. This type of vacuum cleaneris distinguished from theusual brush type of cleaner in that suction alone is utilized :in the cleaning process.

While these cleaners have been provided with brush elements to loosen and .stir upV the dirt and' dust in rugs, carpets and the like, so 'far as I am aware, no `satisfactory head has been provided with a rotatable brush similar in form Aand operation to those of vacuum cleaners of conventional character that operate on the rotatable brush principle.

Cleaning head I0 includes a turbine housing I2 and a brush case I4 for rotatably receiving a rotatable turbine I6 vand a brush I8 respectively. The turbine I 6 is rotatably mounted within a circular cavity or turbine chamber 2t formed in the housing I2 through the medium of a vertical spindle 22 releasably secured to hub 24 or" turbine i6 by means of a set screw or the like 26. Cavity 26 is defined by an annular, vertical wall structure 2I and horizontal wall structure 23.

Housing I2 is provided inaddition to cavity 20 with an elongated groove or passage 28 in wall structure 2| providing an air inlet and having its longitudinal yaxis tangential to the peripheral inner walls Aof cavity 20 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. An outlet 36 formed in the wall structure .2.I, and also communicating with cavity 2.20, is disposed substantially in diametrically-opposed relationship to the inlet end .of tangential groove V28.

A .bearing 32 depending from the wall structure .23 and preferably integral therewith rotatably receives ,the spindle 22 thatv depends from turbine I6, and the lowermost endof spindle .22 below bearing 32 is provided with a sheave 34. A-substantially L-.shaped, tubular adaptor 36 ,is rotatably/securedr to the housing vI2 at one `end thereof in direct communication with outlet 30 through the medium-of .a ring 3&8 on housing I2 in .co-,axial registering relationship with outlet .30 and. a two-section clamp 40, both of which circumscribe the proximal end of adaptor 3.6.

The vtubular adaptor 3S is provided witha pair of .spaced-apart, annular, external. ribs 42, the inside diameter of .clamp 4I) being less than .the outside .diameter of ribs 42 and the clamp .iii being .disposed between the ribs l2 as shown inFig. 4. e plurality of screws or the like .154 releasablysecure the clampfiil to ring Y3i! and/or housing I 2.

That endof the housing .I2 opposite to adaptor 3.6 is .provided with adepending `iange or vertical ,wall structure 4.6 having a slot 48 therein for mounting the brush housing Ill. Housing or case i4 comprises a closed polygonal frame 5.0 presentinga rectangular inlet 52 disposed in a plane below thelowermost extremities of sheave 343.Y The polygonal frame 5u is provided with an upstanding plate '54 at each endrespectively thereof, and one of the longitudinal stretches of the frame '50 is releasably secured or integrally joined with the flange 46 at the lowermost edge thereof as desired. Accordingly, this last-mentioned stretch traverses the slot 48 and closes the lowermost end thereof.

Brush I8 spans the distance between the end plates 54 for rotation upon a normally-horizontal axis. An elongated shaft 5E is provided with a circumscribing tube 58 that, in, turn, spirally mounts a plurality of outwardly-extending bristles 56. The ends of the shaft 56 extend beyond proximal ends of the tube 58 and are each rotatably mounted within a bracket S2. There is a bracket 62 on the innermost face oi each end plate 54 respectively, and each is provided with a slot 64 that receives a bolt and nut assembly 66 serving to adjustably mount the bracket 52 and, accordingly, the brush I8 upon the corresponding end plate 54.

A pulley S8 circumscribing the tube 58 intermediate the ends thereof and rigidly secured thereto is in alignment with the slot d3 of depending lange 45, as is clear in Figs. 2, Ll and 5. The vertical spindle 22 and sheave 3d thereon are, likewise, in alignment with the slot 48, and the latter is operably joined with the pulley 58 by means of a continuous belt lil, twisted slightly as shown in Fig. 4.

A closure member 'l2 that is U-shaped in cross section in the manner illustrated by Fig. `f5 underlies the wall structure 23 in covering relationship to a portion of belt le, the sheave tt and the bearing 32 presenting a chamber for sheave 34. lt is to be preferred that closure l2 be releasably mounted in place such as by attachment to t e outer face of iiange 46.

The turbine it includes a fiat bottom plate 'I4 that has hub 2l! thereon together with a plurality of singularly-disposed vanes l5 integral with the uppermost face thereof. The angularities of the vanes T5 with respect to the ameter of circular plate 'I are preferably all the same, and it is noted that the innermost ends of the Vanes 'it terminate in a circular path concentric with and spaced outwardly from the hub 24. The turbine chamber 2t and the brush case or vacuum cleaner I4 are provided with a common shield or cover plate 'I3 releasably secured thereto through the medium of a plurality of screws or the like.

Cover plat-e T8 is, also, provided with a pair of depending portions (not shown) in opposite sides of the housing l2 that spans the distance between the ends of ange 46 and the end plates 54. It is noted that the inlet end of tangential groove 28 communicates directly with the 'brush case I4 I above the brush I3 and immediately below the inner face of shield "IIS, In other words, the top wall of the groove 23 is defined by cover plate 1S.

In operation, the cleaning head I is secured to the tubular suction conduit of a conventional vacuum cleaner by means of adaptor 36. By virtue of the rotatable interconnection between adaptor 36 and the housing I2, head II) is rendered freely swingable as the suction tube of the vacuum cleaner is used as a handle in positioning th-e head I0 along the carpet or other article to be cleaned. Consequently, the lower face of frame i) slides easily along the carpet and remains flatly thereagainst as the head I0 is placed in use.

Suction from th-e vacuum cleaner induces air currents to new into the case I4 by way of the rectangular opening 52, and such air currents escape from the case I4 into the cavity 20 of housing I2 by way of tangential groove r28. As

soon as these air currents impinge upon the angled vanes 1.6 of turbine I6, the latter will be caused to rotate at a relatively high rate of speed on its axis 22.

The currents of air, together with their entrained dirt and dust particles, thereupon pass from the cavity 2B directly into outlet 30, adaptor 36 and the tubular suction handle of the vacuum sweeper for deposit in the collection chamber of the latter in the usual manner. Simultaneously with the rotation of turbine IS, brush I8 is caused to rotate on its substantially horizontal axis by virtue of the operable interconnection between turbine i6 and brush I8 afforded by spindle 22, sheave 34, belt 'l0 and pulley 58.

Obviously, the outer ends of the bristles Sil 0I brush i8 extend through the rectangular inlet 52 as the brush I8 is rotated, and the force at which such bristles `(iii come into contact with the article being cleaned may be easily and quickly adjusted by removing cover plate 78, loosening bolt and nut assembly 56 and reciproeating the bracket 52 vertically to a desired selected position.

It can now be appreciated that the entire head Ill forming the subject of this invention can be made inexpensively and that, through use of suitable materials such as case aluminum, head I@ may be made light in weight, sturdy in its construction and in such -a manner as to not likely become out of order, even after extensive use.

Very little force is required to rotate a turbine It of this character, particularly when the same is connected with the brush i8 in the manner above described; and, consequently, the usual function of the air currents in forcibly drawing the foreign matter from the carpet or rug into the vacuum cleaner is not materially affected. Rotating brush `I3 cooperates with the flow of air in producing a satisfactory end result, in that the dirt and dust particles are loosened and motivated .by bristles 60 for complete removal from the article being cleaned by the suction action of the sweeper.

While many details of construction of the head I0 may be changed or Varied, it is clear that such changes as fairly come within the spirit of this invention are contemplated hereby; and it is, therefore, desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

A turbine powered, vacuum cleaning and brushing head for use with a suction tube, said head comprising a hollow housing; normally vertical, wall structure separating the interior of the housing into a vacuum chamber and a compartment, there being a cleaning inlet in the housiner communicating with the vacuum chamber; normally horizontal, wall structure separating the compartment into a sheave chamber and a cylindrical, turbine chamber, there being a suction outlet in the housing communicating with the turbine chamber radially of the latter and adapted for communication with said tube, a passage in the vertical wall structure communicating with the vacuum chamber and the turbine chamber tangentially of the latter, and a slot in the vertical Wall structure placing the sheave chamber in communication with the vacuum chamber; a spindle rotatably mounted in the horizontal wall structure and extending therethrough into the turbine and sheave chambers; a turbine wheel rigidly mounted on the spindle Within the turbine chamber; a sheave rigidly mounted on the spindle within the sheave chamber; a brush rotatably mounted within the vacuum chamber and adapted to extend partially through the cleaning inlet; a pulley rigidly 5 mounted on the brush; and an endless belt passing through the slot and operably coupling Vthe pulley with the sheave, whereby, when a AVacuum from said suction tube is applied to the suction outlet, the brush is rotatvely driven by 10 means entirely internal to the housing.

References Cited in the 111e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Re. 14,383 628,505 983,988 2,107,571 2,496,813 

